After the Storm: An Interview With the Man I Loved
by e.e cummings
Summary: After the trauma of the war, Harry and Hermione reuinite and discuss the events that traspired. Rated M for violent themes. 1 shot.


_Re-direct examination by Hermione Granger:_

Q: Why didn't you fire when you got on line?

A: I don't know. There was a lot of firing going on and I couldn't tell whether it was incoming or outgoing.

Q: Weren't you ordered to fire into that village?

A: I don't remember whether the orders was to fire when we hit the ground.

Q: Wasn't everyone else firing?

A: I don't know.

Q: When did you first see a Vietnamese?

A: Right after we landed. In an open field.

Q: Did you fire?

A: No.

Q: Why not?

A: I didn't have orders to fire.

Q: Was he a resident of the village?

A: He was a Viet Cong, yes.

Q: Then why didn't you fire?

A: I didn't have my orders to fire.

Q: Didn't you get orders to kill him from Medina?

A: No. And besides, he was being guarded.

Q: When did you see the next Vietnamese?

A: In the village. He was thirty to fifty years old.

Q: Did you shoot him?

A: Yes.

Q: Why?

A: I was ordered to by Sergeant Mitchell, I believe. And besides, why take chances?

Q: Then you gathered up people. Why?

A: That was my orders. It ain't my reason to say why.

Q: When Lieutenant Calley came up and said, "Take care of these people," why did you continue to guard them?

A: I figured he just wanted me to guard them.

Q: Why didn't you shoot them?

A: I figured maybe he wanted to hold them for interrogation.

Q: What did you do?

A: I held my M-16 on them.

Q: Why?

A: Because they might attack.

Q: They were children and babies?

A: Yes.

Q: And they might attack

A: They might have a had a fully loaded grenade on them. The mothers might have throwed them at us.

Q: Babies?

A: Yes.

Q: Then why didn't you shoot them?

A: I didn't have no orders to kill them right then.

Q: Why didn't you fire first when Lieutenant Calley said, "I want them dead?"

A: Because Lieutenant Calley started firing first. I don't know why I didn't fire first.

Q: What were the people doing when Lieutenant Calley arrived?

A: They were sitting down.

Q: The women, the children and babies were sitting down?

A: Yes. Q: Did they attack you?

A: I assumed at every minute that they would counterbalance. I thought they had some sort of chain or a little string they had to give a little pull and they blow us up, things like that.

Q: What did you do?

A: I just watched them. I was scared all the time.

Q: How many people did you take to the ditch?

A: Seven or eight people.

Q: Why didn't you shoot these people rather than take them with you?

A: I assumed we was going to hold them for interrogation.

Q: Why didn't you kill them?

A: I didn't have my orders to kill them. It ain't my reason to figure what they was going to do with them. It was just natural procedure to hold them for questioning.

Q: Captain Medina's orders did not change that standard operating procedure for these seven or eight people, to hold them for interrogation?

A: No.

Q: What changed the order?

A: Lieutenant Calley said, "We've got another job to do, Potter."

Q: You said you were under emotional strain. Can you describe the strain?

A: Just I was scared and frightened.

Q: At what?

A: At carrying out the orders.

Q: Why?

A: Because nobody really wants to take a human being's life

Q: But they were Viet Cong, weren't they?

A: Yes, they were Viet Cong.

Q: And it was your job?

A: It was my job, yes.

Q: What were the children in the ditch doing?

A: I don't know.

Q: Were the babies in their mother's arms?

A: I guess so.

Q: And the babies moved to attack?

A: I expected at any moment they were about to make a counterbalance

Q: Had they made any move to attack?

A: No.

Q: When you left the ditch, were any of the people standing?

A: Not that I remember.

Q: Did you see anyone who was not shot?

A: I can't say. I didn't get down and check them out.

Q: Did you see anyone who wasn't shot?

A: There might have been a few. I didn't check 'em out.

Q: Now, Mr. Potter, one last question: Did Lieutenant Calley or did Captain Medina order you to kill?

A: I took orders from Lieutenant Calley. But--

Harry: That's all.


End file.
